The 49ers officially announced their acquisition of defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa via trade with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.
Odighizuwa spent the first five seasons of his NFL career in Dallas, where he became a key piece to the team’s defensive front.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones explained why the organization made the move to trade away Odighizuwa to San Francisco.
“We needed to spread it around a little bit on what we have available to us with [the salary cap],” Jones told Jon Machota of The Athletic. “More importantly, we can put it in some places that probably get more mileage out of what it’s done.
“That’s not taking anything away from him individually, but we’ve got two outstanding football players [in Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark], we have other backup players, plus we don’t want to rule out drafting a player. So, we thought that was the best move.”
Jones also praised Odighizuwa, who was elected as defensive captain for the Cowboys during the 2024 and 2025 NFL seasons.
“[Odighizuwa] has such high character,” Jones also said to Machota. “He’s done such an amazing job in his career. You could say, ‘Well, aren’t you going the wrong way when people of his quality, his caliber, aren’t on the team?’
“But that’s the reason we were able to get what we thought was a really beneficial result for the team. We got the [third-round draft pick]. [That pick] will be very helpful to us. And [that] also lets us put those resources that we’re going to spend there in some other spots we need help.”
Jerry Jones on the Cowboys trading DT Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers: “We needed to spread it around a little bit on what we have available to us with (the salary cap). More importantly, we can put it in some places that probably get more mileage out of what it’s done. That’s not…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 13, 2026
In 84 games with Dallas, Odighizuwa recorded 17 total sacks, 216 combined tackles, 34 tackles for loss and 81 quarterback hits. The 27-year-old also is one of only seven players with 23 or more quarterback hits in each of the last two years.
For a 49ers team that finished last in total team sacks during the 2025 season, Odighizuwa will bring a much-needed boost to San Francisco’s defensive line.
Especially with edge rushers Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams returning from ACL injuries and second-year defensive tackles Alfred Collins and CJ West developing their game further, the 49ers’ defense overall has an opportunity to become one of the best in the league during the upcoming 2026 season.
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